


Along for the Ride

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21873124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Three hours into the drive, Ryan drops this bombshell on Jeremy. "So. About this family reunion thing. I, um, sort of told them that we're dating? So yeah."--In which Ryan invites his roommate Jeremy to a Christmas family dinner, who thinks that they're dating and Jeremy has to play along.
Relationships: Gavin Free/Lindsay Tuggey Jones/Michael Jones/Meg Turney, Jack Pattillo/Geoff Ramsey, Jeremy Dooley/Ryan Haywood
Comments: 8
Kudos: 121





	Along for the Ride

It comes out of the blue one day when Ryan asks him: "Hey, Jer. Do you want to go to dinner with my family for Christmas?"

Jeremy immediately looks to the calendar on his laptop and sees that the date is only December 1st. "Isn't it a little early to be thinking about Christmas already?" He stretches out on the couch as Ryan comes and perches on the opposite arm of the couch, boxing in Jeremy's legs with his feet.

"Dude, it's finals season for me. I'm thinking, like, three weeks ahead right now."

"Yeah, I'd be down for Christmas. Where would we be going?"

"Austin. Not too far all things considering."

"So is this just a dinner thing? Do I gotta like wear a tie or some shit?" He's never met any of Ryan's family before and this is going to be a step up in their friendship. It's one thing to offer being roommates with each other after first year in dorms. It's entirely another thing to take said roommate to a family gathering during Christmas. But Jeremy's down for anything especially if it means he can get out of town for a few days and get a nice hot meal from some family in Austin.

Jeremy's never been to Austin, but he's heard it's a pretty happening place. Some cool animation studios popping up, some Twitch streamers he's played with before.

"How long were you thinking?" he asks.

"A week?" Ryan asks, folding his hands and resting his arms on his legs. He's always given Jeremy the impression of a bird. But not like something twiggy and graceful, no. The way Ryan likes to perch reminds Jeremy more of a bird of prey ready to pounce. His mischievous smile and keen eyes don't exactly help it, but it suits him. Suits his personality.

"Yeah," Ryan says. "22nd to the 29th. Then we can be back for New Years with James and Adam. And I'm sure the rest of the family wouldn't mind if you brought your streaming computer with you. They're pretty hip to that."

"You mean the Internet?"

"Sure. Why not." He then steps up and away with those long legs of his and he's back to sitting at the kitchen table to finish up a paper that's due by the end of the week. Jeremy's been sure to keep on top of his due dates using stickie notes on the fridge, keep Ryan's toes on the ground. Ryan's smart—any systems design engineer would be, but sometimes he gets carried away and needs help realigning his own priorities. Jeremy's always there to help because, well, he can? There's no thought process he puts into it, only that due dates are important and he can at least help out in this way.

As per usual, Jeremy adds the family Christmas vacation to the fridge and then forgets about it the next day because at least the fridge has it. They fall back into their schedules of Ryan going to class and Jeremy uploads parts of his Twitch streams to YouTube. He likes the freedom that comes with streaming. He likes interacting with people like this and it gives him a lot of time to appreciate games he had has a kid and put on a performance for the people who watch him.

It also gives him a flexibility to work his way around Ryan's hectic schedule. He took a four year degree while Jeremy stuck it out with a nice and easy two years. They first met in the dorms during first year, living just down the hall from each other. They became good friends and, after Jeremy's graduation, decided to move into their own apartment. It worked because they were good friends. They had similar interests. They balanced each other out.

Ryan is the weird and quiet guy of the house. He's not exactly an introvert when it comes to his close and personal friends circle, but he does try to avoid large social settings like the plague. He has a weird outlook on things, sometimes saying things just to see the look on Jeremy's face afterwards and then laughs about it.

Jeremy, on the other hand, is the social butterfly. Always has been. He likes connecting with other people, has several different groups he's a part of, and always tries to include Ryan in what he's doing if he thinks he'll be interested. Ryan usually declines, but he appreciates the sentiment at the very least.

Ryan has a good taste in food and cooks when stressed. In exchange for this, Jeremy picks up the groceries when they need it and clears away the dishes.

(It also doesn't help that Ryan always looks so proud when Jeremy likes what he makes. Seeing Ryan smile like that always makes a part of Jeremy flutter in response.)

Jeremy would say they're just really good friends. Ryan's definitely the most agreeable person to be a roommate with and Jeremy can't be happier that their current arrangement is working so well.

The family vacation date is slowly coming up with sticky notes being removed from the fridge as Ryan slowly accomplishes all of his deadlines. When he's done his final exam, Jeremy takes him out to a video arcade bar with a few friends. It's not so much about the drinking as it is playing some retro classics which he knows Ryan enjoys.

Two days later they're packing their luggage in the car for the trip to Austin. They leave mid-morning to give themselves enough time to get there and not stress about it.

Three hours into the drive, Ryan drops this bombshell on Jeremy.

"So. About this family reunion thing. I, um, sort of told them that we're dating? So _yeah._ "

The way Ryan says it makes Jeremy know that it's not a joke. "Oh. Okay. Yeah, I, I can roll with that."

He sees how Ryan's hands are tight around the steering wheel.

"It just spilled out of me on the phone one night," Ryan says. "My sister was asking me things and it just came right out and I couldn't stop it and now they're all bugging me to meet you."

Jeremy blinks and then it sinks in. "You want me to play pretend your boyfriend for the few days we're with your family."

"Is that too much to ask? I feel like we're fairly good friends and this is just like more water under the bridge for us. If it's too weird, we can downplay it. I can make up some sort of lie that you like to be discrete about our relationship."

"Discrete?" Jeremy says. "Ryan, have you _seen_ my hair today? Purple and orange doesn't exactly scream discrete."

Ryan sputters and gestures with one hand uselessly. "I see your point."

"But I'm totally down for this," he says because he is. He knows it's going to be a lot of fun (if only a bit painful because hasn't he already thought of this scenario before?).

"Oh." Ryan sounds surprised. "Really? You're cool with it? You don't think this might make things weird between us?"

"Weird? You kidding me? We're the epitome of weird, dude."

It's after their stop at a fast-food place that Ryan drops the next bombshell on him. Well. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but Ryan decided to break out the family tree to catch Jeremy up to speed.

It's a lot for Jeremy to sit on, so they take it up a bit more in the car.

"So. Let me get this straight. You've got the one half sibling."

Ryan nods. "Correct. Meg and I share the same mom. We were raised by my grandmother."

"But then there's Geoff."

"Yeah! He did the Big Brother program when I was in grade school. Made it a bit easier on my grandmother in looking after us. He feels like family and he's been in my life ever since."

"Who comes with Jack. Because they're partners. But then Jack comes with Fiona and Matt, who are . . ."

"They're his adopted siblings I guess? I know his parents decided to foster when he was going off to college. I never did find out if they were adopted, but they've been a part of his family long enough."

Jeremy scratches his head. "And then . . . how does Michael fit into all this?"

"Now that one is a bit of a chain. Meg knows Lindsay because they were sorority sisters. Lindsay then married Michael, and Michael is best friends with Gavin who used to live with Jack for a while actually when he first came to the country. And he's in a relationship with Meg and the four of them might have something going on? I haven't really asked, but they're a good bunch together."

It's a lot of names, a lot of various connections piggybacking off of each other into one family, blood or otherwise, it is a lot. While Jeremy knows he won't be grilled on the family tree, he still wants to make a good impression. Like he's Ryan's boyfriend and takes interest in his life, such as his family.

"You got any photos on you?" It'll be easier to make this work if he has some faces to work with.

"Uh, yeah. Grab my phone and take a look. Also, I should have Instagram up? Go look through Meg's page. She's a bit more social than I am there."

Jeremy spends a good hour browsing through photos. He's always sort of known Ryan is a family guy. He usually has long phone calls with them in the evenings, and it's always a nice sound to hear Ryan laugh in his bedroom about something. But now he gets to see photos of it all. Jeremy isn't a nosy person. He figures if Ryan has something important to share with him then he will.

That bring up another thought. If Ryan told his family that they're dating, what has he said about Jeremy? What has he said about their relationship? Does he get that dreamy look in his eyes when he's talking about something he's passionate about?

He glances over to Ryan who's simply driving, completely unaware that Jeremy's stomach is turning itself into knots because _he's going to spend a family Christmas pretending he's in a relationship with his best friend and roommate._

"So what have you said about us?" he asks because he wants to make sure they're on the same page. That they aren't caught in a lie.

"Nothing that isn't true," he says. "Maybe a bit of embellishment, but all I usually say is that you make me . . . happy."

Jeremy blinks. "Oh. Okay."

He doesn't dare ask more because what if it shatters the illusion between them?

(He'll take what he can get at this point.)

They pull into a nice country lot just on the outskirts of Austin in the evening. Jeremy's ready to get out and stretch. He's a little dozy from the car ride, but as soon as he sees the front door to the house open, he finds himself more alert than ever.

Two men step out, one with full tattoo sleeves and the other with a full ginger beard. Geoff and Ryan if Jeremy has to guess.

"Eyy, it's Ryan!" Geoff says throwing his arms out wide as he steps up to hug Ryan tightly. Ryan then latches onto Jack soon after.

"Are you going to introduce us?" Jack asks, gesturing to Jeremy who's still hanging out around the car, pulling out their bags and suitcases from the trunk.

"Right!" Ryan says, jogging around back to Jeremy to lay a more-than-casual hand on his shoulder, thumb on the skin of his neck. "Guys, this is Jeremy. My boyfriend."

Jeremy looks up at Ryan and he's got that stupid grin on his face. Like he knows he's doing something stupid but seeing it through anyways. (God, he's such a sucker for that smile.)

"It's nice to meet you. Ryan's told me a lot about you."

"I'd be disappointed if he didn't," Geoff says. "Come on. Let's get you two inside. You can claim a room before the package shows up."

The 'package' turns out to be the foursome of Michael and Lindsay, and Gavin and Meg. Jeremy and Ryan get shacked up together in one of the spare bedrooms on the second floor. ( _Oh God, there's only one bed._ ) There's a spare desk where Jeremy can set up his streaming computer. Ryan is emptying his suitcase of clothing into the closet whereas Jeremy plans on living out of his suitcase because he's a gremlin like that. Until Ryan takes his suitcase while Jeremy gets his set up going. And then sets everything neatly into the small dresser the room comes with.

They work well together.

(A little too well.)

In the next hour, Jeremy has the opportunity to meet the rest of the family. The 'foursome' as Ryan likes to call them which gets an eyeroll from Michael when they finally do meet each other. Matt and Fiona come together later in the night. Jeremy immediately gets along with the both of them because they're into the streaming scene too so it's easy to get on the same page and try to coordinate streaming schedules for future collaborations. He thinks he’s just about lucked out with Ryan’s family here. He gets along with a lot of them. He shares interests with a lot of them. He feels like this could work out (even if it’s just for pretend because Ryan was running his mouth one day).

Once together, Jack and Geoff get out some finger food to keep everyone fed for the night and they take up various spots around the house, the living room and kitchen, and get to know each other in the mean time.

Of course the first two to come at Jeremy is the sister, Meg, and with her comes Gavin, the affable yet loveable one off the extended family.

"So you're Jeremy," Meg says and she looks at him with such a knowing glance whereas Gavin appears to be keeping himself passive.

"That I am." He looks to where Ryan is catching up with Geoff and Jack in the kitchen, Geoff laughing loudly at something Ryan must've said.

"Ryan's said a lot about you," she says.

"Uh huh. Met in first year and decided to get a place together after you graduated."

"You're a streamer, yeah?" Gavin adds.

Meg turns to him. "Gav. That's not what we're here for."

"Well, I gotta know if he can support Ryan on a _streamer's_ salary."

"Yeah," Jeremy says, cutting in before things get too off track. "I stream stuff. Three times a week."

"What kind of stuff do you stream?" Gavin asks, taking a sudden interest in Jeremy with wide eyes.

"Gav," Meg says again, this time with more exasperation. She shakes her head. "So when did this start between you two?"

Right. What would Ryan have told them? Keeping it vague would probably help. "Not long after we started living together, I'd say." He knows Ryan isn't good with dates so he doubts he would've told them something specific. "We just sort of clicked, you know? Realized we really liked where things were going and it was really only natural for it to go to the next step."

Gavin, now looking keen as anything, nods along and then cuts in with, "I mean, that's all well and good, but what _kind_ of games? And what's your set up like?"

Meg rolls her eyes and moves to stand. "You two boys have fun. And Jeremy."

He looks up at her.

"Welcome to the family."

The first night goes well, but it still leaves Jeremy with a lot of questions.

There's still the issue of sleeping in one bed together with Ryan, but no big deal. Not really. They used to live in the same dorm together and that felt like sleeping in the same bed together. That's the same right?

Wrong. It is not the same. It is entirely on another level.

Jeremy has pressed himself against the wall, cozied up with his own pillow as Ryan turns out the room light and crawls into bed. He tries to keep himself calm when he can feel Ryan's body heat leech off of him.

"So," Ryan says. "What did you think?"

"Your family is something, man. I really liked them. Didn't know how many of them were on the gaming side of things."

"Yeah, I knew you'd fit right in. A few of them have been keen on meeting you. I'm glad you came along."

"I would," Jeremy says, trying to order his thoughts correctly. "I would've come with you anyway. Even if you hadn't said--"

"Said we were dating?"

"Yeah. Not that I don't like that." (Abort! Abort!) "It's just, uh, it's kinda nice, you know? We've been friends for so long that, that it's sorta hard to—"

He's interrupted when he feels a hand on his arm. "I feel like I should say something," Ryan starts. "The whole lie thing. Saying we're dating when we're not. Didn't really come out of nowhere. I sort of wanted it to be true. I, I like you? More than I thought I would? So I just wanted to live in that world for a little while."

Jeremy turns over onto his side so they can at least face each other in the dark. "How long have you felt this way?"

He can almost see Ryan shrug. "Probably since we moved in together. It became clearer then, but I know I had feelings for you going through school together. And I didn't want to lose you after that."

Jeremy gets it because he felt the same way. Nearing graduation, not knowing exactly what he was going to do after, but then being offered some sense of stability and comfort when Ryan suggested they get an apartment together off campus. It was the best solution at the time. "I didn't either," he says quietly.

He hears Ryan breathe in deeply, the usual tell when he's trying to drum up the courage to do something.

"Hey, Jeremy, can I try something?"

"Depends on what that something is."

He hears and feels Ryan move closer, and then, lips just gently, off center on the corner of his mouth, but they're in the dark so that can be overlooked. Jeremy adjusts himself so they can kiss properly.

"I guess we don't have to pretend anymore," Ryan says.

"Yeah, but were we really?"

And Ryan's laugh is enough to carry Jeremy through the rest of the night and into tomorrow.


End file.
